It was a first — a debate between a president and a former president. And it was likely watched as much out of morbid curiosity as interest in the election, which is also a first.

The questions going in were whether Donald Trump could control himself, and whether Joe Biden could hold it together for 90 minutes. The answer to the first question was "yes." To the second? “Not so much.”

President Biden’s performance was shockingly bad. All that can be said is he got through the debate alive. Confused, lost, stumbling, mumbling and very angry, but he was still there and breathing when it ended.

It was shocking.

Inflation was the first topic, and Biden seemed to speed-talk through his nonsense answer, which was full of random attacks against Trump on everything from COVID to prescription drugs. It was disjointed, to say the least. He was confused and seemed to be scrambling for information that he hadn't memorized quite well enough.

Trump, in contrast, was refreshingly un-Trumpian. If you were a Democrat hoping to see him lose his mind or at least his cool, this was not your night.

This was the strategy........

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